Automobile-door latch.



T. N. ULE VOG.

AUTOMOBILE DOOR LATCH.

APPLlCATION HLED SEPT- 30. \918.

l ,Q99,066; Patented Apr. 1, 1919.

INVENTOR. Tmr'va l N. Ulav mg 7&3 ATTORNEYJ.

To 2121 whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT omen. 7

ionvnr. n umvoe, or EARL GREY, snsxn rcnnwm, outline.

, AUTOMOBILE-DOOR LATCH Be it known that 1, Tower. N. ULEVOG, a citizenof Canada, and a resident of Earl Grey, in the Province of Saskatchewanand Dominion of Canada, have invented certain neweand usefulImprovements in Automobile-Door. Latches, of which the fol-f lowingisaspecification. The present invention relates to door latches} and moreparticularly to that type for application to the doors of motor vehiclesand the like.

The object of this invention i's'to provide a latch of relativel fewparts adapted to bind securely toget er for holding a door closed, andwhich when subjected to vibration, binds more tightly and effectivelymaintains the door closed under all conditions of movement of thevehicle. I

The invention further aims at the-provision of a latch embodying theabove char-- acteristics, and which is in general character,

similar to the form of latches used at the present time in vehiclebodyconstruction, and which may be easily operated to release the door,and which may be closed without the necessity .of slamming. the door.

The above, and various other objects and,

advanta es of this invention will. be in part de'scrib and in partunderstood, from the following detailed description of the presentpreferred embodiment, the same being 4 the keeper.

illustrated in the vaccompanying drawing, whereinz- I F-igure 1 is afragmentary vertical section taken longitudinally through the upper partof a vehicle body door and the adjacent portion of the frame,illustrating an. application of a latch constructed-according to theresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a I horizontal section ,,taken through the same substantiallyon the planes indicated by the line 2'--2"in Fig; 1. 1 entary face view.

of the keeper, showing in section the posi- Fig. 3 isa detail fra tionof' the latch leverin engagement with Referrin I ame of a motor vehicleor the ner therein- Fitting in the door structure is a casing 1Q open atone side and closed.

thereat by a removable plate 11. Pivotally mounted in the casing 10 on apin 12 is a latch lever 13the same I rojectmg at one end through theouter e go of the casing Specification of Letterii Patent.

slot 18 and held in the slot by the tension of spring 16.

to' the drawing desig ates I Patented Apr. 1,1919.

' Application filed September 80, 1818. Serial'Ko. 256,314.

1.0and movable in aslot 14 in. said ed e of the casing. The other end ofthe tch lever 13 has an enlargement or weight-.15

- adapted to normally urge the lever to turn in one direction andmaintain-the lever substanti'ally in-a horizontal position.

The weightedend of the lever 13 'is' connected to one end ofiav frame 16which is' secured at its other endto the bottom of the casing 10 and isadapted to assist the weight 15in holding the'outer or free end of thethe latch lever down through the slot 14 a handle or hand lever 17 isemployed and may be in the form of a'bail-as shown havs one d p jectingthrough the inner slde of the door and movable in an arcuate head orenlargement 19 formed upon the said end of the bail. The bail is spacedfrom. the inner side of the door-and is adapted to receive the fingerthereabout for manually .grasping th bail or lever 17 to turn the sameabout its other .end as an axis, the

other end being relatively long tov form a-' shaft 20 journaled in thecasing 10 andplate 11 and havi within the casing, a hub 21 to turn withthe shaft.

in a horizontal direction and having pivotal connection to the upper endof a hnk 23 g fixed' thereon, and- The hub 21 'is provided with aradially extending arm 22 projecting'substantially which projectsdownward from the arm 22 and has pivotal engagement at its lower endwith the; weightedend of the latch lever 13;. The arm 22 exte nds in thesame directionfrom the hub 21 as does the handle on bail- 17, and thelatter is arranged over the vweighted end of the latch lever' 13. Whenthe bail 17 is swung up it raises the link 23 and draws the weight 15 upagalnst I Goop erating with he latch lever 13 is, a keeper 24 in theform' of an L-shape casting fitted'to the frame A' opposite the freeedge of the door B and having a slot or opening 25 into which the noseor free end of the latch lever- 13 is adapted to 'project. The

I keeper 24 is provided with a dowiiwardly and 'inwardlv mclined guidingface 26 at its outer edge against which the latch is adapt-' ed to firsten age, the face26-gu1ding the latch totheowr end of a projection 27depending in the slot25 and having a fiat inner face 28 against whichthe latch lever is adapted to engage.

From the upper-end of the projection 27 the keeper 24: is provided withan upwardly and inwardly inclined shoulder 29 against which thecorresponding beveled upper edge of the latch lever 13 is adapted toengage. The spring 16 holds the latch in contact with the shoulder 29and as the latter is inclined or beveled, the latch is retained undertension and from rattling at all times. The weight l'and' the spring 16combine to settle or advance the free end of the latch lever 13 over theshoulder 29 and to thus insure lever binds.

the binding of the latch in position when the device is jarred orvibrated.

l/Vhen the door is closed and latched, excessive pressure placed againstthe inside of the door may slide the latch lever 13- down the shoulder29, but'the latch lever is held,

from being released by the inner flat face 28 of the projection againstwhich the latch the latch lever positively from movement out of thekeeper slot 25, and holds the door from becomingreleased. The guide 26and shoulder 29 are formed upon theflopposite edges of a block or ribintegral with the body portion of the keeper 2t and which is extendeddown at the point of mergence of the inclined edges 26 and 29.

' 'It is within the spirit of this invention to make such changes andmodifications within the scope of the following claims, in the designand construction of the above described embodiment of the invention aswill.

adapt the sameto body construction of various types and to various otheruses to which the latch may be put.

What is claimed is: Y

1. In a latch, the combination of a latch lever, means for normallyurging the lever to swing in one direction for yieldingly holding thefree end thereof in a raised position, and a keeper having a slot toreceive the free end of the lever and provided in the outer portion ofthe slot with a downwardly and inwardly inclined guiding faceterminating in a projection and having at the inner portion of the slotan upwardly inclined shoulder against which the latch lever is I adaptedto be yieldingly held and'which terminates at its lower end in avertical flat face to receivethe latch lever thereagainst and retain thesame'from movement out of the slot. i

2. In a, latch, the combination of a latch lever, means for normallyswinging the lever to raise the free end thereof, and a keeper having aslot for the reception of said The projection 27 thus holds naeacee freeend of the lever, the keeper having a depending projection in the slotwith an in ner fiat face to retain the latch within the slot andhaving-Jan inclined shoulder rising from said pro ect on and againstwhich said latch is adapted to yieldingly bind.

3. In a latch, the combination of a casing adapted to be inserted ina'door, a latch lever pivoted in the casing, means connected to thelatch lever for normallyurging one end thereof upward and through theouter edge of the door, a hand lever mounted upon the door and having aportion projecting into the casing, a connection between the hand leverand the latch lever for depressing the raised end of the latter andretracting it within the door, and a keeper adapted to be secured to thea door frame and having a slot to receive-the free end of the latch everwhen projected and having a guiding face to depress the lever and aWedge p d shoulder inwardly of the guiding face against which the freeend of the latch lever is adapted to bind when normally urged upward,said keeper also having a locking shoulder at the lower endi of thewedge shaped portion to retain the. atch lever in the keeper when thedoor is subjected to pressure from its inner side.

4. In a latch, the combination of a casing adapted to be inserted'in adoor, a latch lever pivoted in the casing, means connected to the latchlever for normally urging one a end thereof upwardly and through theouter edge of the door, a hand lever mounted upon the door and having aportion projecting into ,the casing, a connection between the handleverand the latch lever for depressing the raised, end of the latter andretracting it within the door, and a keeper having a slot for thereception of said free end of the lever, the keeper having a dependingprojection in the slot with an inner flat face to retain the latchwithin the slot' and having flat face to retain the latch within theslot' and having an inclined shoulder rising from said rojection andagainst which said latch dapted to yieldingly bind, the latter 7 is "ainclined face bein adapted to retain the latch lever from in ration atall timesw v TORVAL N. ULEVOG.

